


Same Mistakes

by Reyn



Series: One Direction [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, No Phones, broken relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-02
Updated: 2014-12-02
Packaged: 2018-02-27 20:17:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2705327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reyn/pseuds/Reyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko and Katara were meant to be one of those forever couples. So Sokka's fear is very real when things start to go downhill.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Same Mistakes

The first time it happened, Sokka nearly had a heart attack.  
  
Katara showed up on his doorstep just as he was getting ready for bed with a stiff upper lip that wobbled and crumbled before he was even able to register her presence.  
  
“Katara what’s wrong?? Why are you—?” he looked around. “Where’s Zuko? Did something happen? Is he okay??”  
  
Rather than answer, his little sister collapsed against his chest, and blubbered out how they had a fight and Zuko was such a jerk.  
  
Sokka stood in shock for a moment before he led her inside and simply held her. Her sobs wrenched at his own emotions and made him want to hunt down Zuko and beat the man to a bloody pulp for making his baby sister cry like this. But he knew he had to be rational.  
  
Katara, while as girly as they came, was tough as nails and tended to get vicious when her feelings got hurt. Zuko was a good friend of his, and despite being a bit of a hothead, Katara was usually able to cool him down before his temper went too far. Plus, when it came to the people he cared about, Zuko was a bit of a turtleduck. He never lashed out unless provoked first.  
  
So while he was mad at Zuko for whatever he may have done, Sokka also realized it was entirely possible Katara started the fight.  
  
But Sokka wasn’t one to judge.  
  
Instead, he provided some tissues, some spare pajamas, and sacrificed the last of his sugar for some cookie dough that he and Katara ate together raw in front of the tv.  
  
Several hours later, the doorbell rang a second time.  
  
Zuko wasn’t crying like Katara, but he looked just as miserable with a heavy dose of fear.  
  
“Are you going to punch me?”  
  
Sokka took note of how Zuko stood near the edge of the porch and crossed his arms.  
  
“I feel like maybe I should, but I haven’t gotten the story out of Katara yet.”  
  
Zuko’s shoulders, which had been hunched up, slumped. “Oh. Do I…should I come back later? Or tomorrow? Or…never?”  
  
Sokka was distracted from answering by a gentle hand against his back. At Zuko’s wide, hopeful eyes, he turned to find Katara peeking over his shoulder.  
  
“Katara! I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry!”  
  
Katara shook her head, her face scrunching up once more as she pushed her way past Sokka’s bulk so she could throw herself into Zuko’s waiting arms.  
  
“No, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have—”  
  
“—but still! I shouldn’t—”  
  
“I know, but when you—”  
  
“I don’t know what I was thinking—”  
  
Sokka gave up listening and went back to the couch. He was just glad to see they were able to bounce back from this. They loved each other way too much to be having fights like this.  
  
+  
  
The second time it happened, Sokka felt the dark feeling of doubt wriggle its way into his confidence.  
  
Katara wasn’t crying this time. She was the perfect picture of righteous fury and even had an oversized bag hanging from her shoulder.  
  
“I’m staying here for a few days,” she announced as she pushed her way in.  
  
“What? Why?”  
  
Sokka followed her to the living room, where she threw her bag on the couch.  
  
“Because Zuko’s a jerk and deserves to struggle without me for a while.”  
  
“Why? What did he do this time?”  
  
Katara stiffened at the question and whirled around. “Are you taking his side??”  
  
Sokka’s hands immediately went up. “No. No, I just wrongly assumed you were ready to talk about it. But if you’re going to be all snappy about it, I’m just going to let you stir the cookie dough yourself.” He headed into the kitchen. “Maybe then you’ll wear yourself out and be a little less irritable.”  
  
He had just pulled out a bowl when the doorbell rang. Katara was already heading to the door, and Sokka immediately broke into a run, intent on warning his friend to come back later.  
  
There wasn’t an ounce of sadness or fear on Zuko’s face. Instead, it was twisted with so much anger that made Sokka want to hide his little sister away.  
  
“Wow. As the impartial man in the middle of all this, I feel obligated to advise you both do this at another time. Preferably after you both calm down.  
  
Twin shouts of “I am calm!” hit him in surround sound and scared the living daylights out of him.  
  
He found himself being shoved aside so Katara could stand beside him and yell. Zuko pushed him back so _he_ could stand before Katara and yell right back. Worried about what his neighbors would think, Sokka peacefully picked up Katara around the waist and carried her into his bedroom. She was still shouting, and Zuko was following as he continued to shout back.  
  
Sokka paid them little mind as he closed the bedroom door behind him.  
  
He went back to the kitchen to make the cookie dough for himself and returned to the hall to listen in.  
  
“What the hell makes you think I even _want_ to be without you—”  
  
“—nagging! If you’re just going to complain—”  
  
“—never said you nag! You just—”  
  
“—same thing, different words!”  
  
“—then try these words! I—”  
  
There was a short silence that left Sokka straining to hear.  
  
“…what?”  
  
“I love you.”  
  
Unable to stop the smile from spreading across his face, Sokka took that as his cue to leave. He didn’t want to be around to hear his little sister have make up sex on his bed.  
  
+

The third time it happened, Sokka felt something in his own heart crack for the both of them.

It wasn’t Katara at the door this time.  
  
It was a broken-looking Zuko.  
  
“Please tell me Katara’s okay.”  
  
Zuko’s hand came up to rub the back of his neck. “She’s…she’s fine. Safe. I just…needed somewhere to go.”  
  
The breath left Sokka’s lungs. “Did you two…?”  
  
Zuko’s face fell slightly and he ducked his head. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It’s possible.”

Sokka let him in.

“Do you want cookies? Or maybe cookie dough, if you’re feeling adventurous?”  
  
Open confusion flashed through Zuko’s eyes. “Why?”  
  
“To make you feel better,” Sokka explained. “It’s what I did for Katara every time she came over.”  
  
At the mention of Katara’s name, Zuko’s countenance shut down and he took a small step back. “No thanks.”  
  
Sokka made it a point to accept the answer easily enough. “Alright. Beer, then?”  
  
Zuko hesitated, his gaze darting to the front door and back. “Okay.”  
  
They were halfway through their second mindless action movie with Sokka near the end of his second beer before he realized Zuko had barely taken a sip of his. Taking pity on the man, he offered him a cup of water instead, which was instantly downed.  
  
When the movie was over, he loaned out a pair of pajamas, wisely not mentioning they were the same ones Katara had borrowed during their first big fight. Zuko accepted them with a mumbled thanks and simply held them in his lap.  
  
Despite the late hour and the fact that he had work the next morning, Sokka asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”  
  
Zuko’s brought his eyes up briefly. “No.”  
  
Sokka nodded and positioned the tv remote in easy reach. He also made sure the porch light was left on.  
  
The next morning, freshly showered and dressed for work, Sokka felt his world shatter a second time when he walked out to the kitchen to find Zuko slumped in front of his dining room table, morosely pushing around cereal with a spoon.  
  
Katara hadn’t come for him.  
  
“Shit…”  
  
Sokka hurried forward and took a seat opposite Zuko, noting that the man had never bothered to change into the pajamas.  
  
“Zuko, are you…I am so sorry, man.”  
  
The bags under Zuko’s slightly red eyes were dark enough to make his already pale complexion look ill.  
  
When no answer was forthcoming, Sokka moved the cereal box aside to ensure Zuko had no obstacles to block them from having a conversation that needed to happen.  
  
“What are you going to do now?”  
  
Zuko’s shoulder barely lifted in a shrug. “I guess…wander around for a few hours until she’s at work. Then go back and grab a few things. Clothes. And stuff. And then…”  
  
Sokka winced. This went against every code he knew of considering his position as Katara’s brother, but – “You can stay here, if you need to.”  
  
Zuko was already shaking his head.  
  
“I mean, I know I don’t exactly have the space, but, no, just listen.” Sokka slid his hands forward on the table, prompting Zuko to stop denying the offer. “You need someplace familiar to get your head back together. At least for a few days.”  
  
“But she’s your sister,” Zuko weakly argued.  
  
“Yeah, but you’re one of my best friends. She’ll probably hate me for a while, but as family she’ll get over it. Okay?”  
  
Zuko mulled it over for a bit before finally giving a single nod.  
  
“Good. Now why don’t you go borrow some of my clothes and I can drop you off at the gym so that you aren’t just aimlessly wandering the streets,” Sokka suggested.  
  
A ghost of a smile twitched at the corner of Zuko’s lips and he stood to do just that.  
  
While Sokka got started on his own breakfast, the doorbell began to ring nonstop.  
  
It was Katara, and she was in hysterics.  
  
“Sokka. Sokka, I lost him. I can’t find—Sokka, I messed up so bad this time. He left and he’s gone and I don’t – I don’t know what to do.”  
  
The relief that flooded through Sokka’s chest was so strong, he couldn’t be bothered to check his strength as he yanked Katara forward and hugged her tight.  
  
“You need to stop doing this to him,” he muttered into her hair.  
  
“I know! I know, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I just – it’s always over the same stupid thing, and he left and I just – it’s so stupid.”  
  
“Katara…?”  
  
Katara’s head snapped up, nearly hitting Sokka’s, at the sound of Zuko’s voice.  
  
“You’re here,” she breathed. She looked up at Sokka and back to Zuko, pulling herself out of her brother’s arms. “Why are you here?”  
  
Zuko winced at the question and glanced away. “Sorry. I would – should have gone to Aang’s or somewhere, but he’s still out of town.”  
  
Katara shook her head, her lower lip trembling as she slowly approached Zuko. “I thought…I went to Azula’s looking for you.”  
  
That certainly broke through the somber mood as Sokka let out a snort and Zuko frowned in complete bewilderment.  
  
“Why would I go to my sister’s place? My sister’s crazy.”  
  
Katara choked out a very wet laugh. “I don’t know; I wasn’t thinking straight. I figured since I always went to my family’s that you would do the same. I just didn’t realize how exactly the same.”  
  
For a moment they simply stared at one another.  
  
“We can’t keep doing this, Katara.”  
  
Katara nodded and wiped at her eyes. “No, I know. I know. Things need to change and we need to work on some stuff. But please, please don’t leave.”  
  
Those words seemed to pierce through something in Zuko, because suddenly tears were streaming down his cheeks as well.  
  
“If I promise to stay, will you please stop crying?” he pleaded. “I hate it when you cry.”  
  
Katara, who had been on the verge of calming down, began to cry anew. “But you’re crying, too!”  
  
For reasons unknown to him, Sokka felt himself tearing up as well. When later asked after everyone was done blubbering at each other, his excuse was that there was obviously something in the air. But if he were to be honest, it was because he had a pretty strong feeling that this time his sister and his friend would finally be able to grow from this particular mistake.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: avatar-reyn


End file.
